Recipes, books, games, DIY tips and more!

Essential Car Camping Checklist

Camping with my Nonna and Nonno was so much fun when I was a kid (and still is – they’re still at it!). Being from Kansas, we’d drive the long, monotonous highway to Colorado every summer to fish and hike in the majestic Rocky Mountains. To me, there’s still nothing better.

My husband, Peter, and I have gone on some of our own camping excursions, including our honeymoon! We called it the camping-moon and spent a week at Yellowstone. It was glorious. To prepare, I put together a handy camping gear checklist as a quick reference as we were trying to pack the car and get an early start. I’ve listed the items below, plus made a printable PDF – I hope you find it helpful, too!

Pots and pans: 1 large pot for boiling water, 1 good sized sauce pan, and 1 large skillet/fry pan

Wooden spoons and plastic spatulas

Measuring cups (liquid and dry) – a water bottle works in a pinch for liquid measuring, if you know how much it holds

Metal or plastic mixing bowls (which can double as wash basins)

Outdoor/plastic or disposable plates and bowls

Silverware

Cups and mugs

Plastic or vinyl table cloth

Aluminum foil

Plastic wrap

Zipper plastic bags

Paper towels

Cloth dish towels and dish rag or brush

Oil for cooking (I usually just take a can of spray oil like Pam)

Salt and pepper

Dish soap (travel size)

Dish tub for washing dishes

Chip clips

Large garbage bags

Scissors

Utility Knife

For the Camp Fire

Firewood (unless you are allowed to gather it at the site)

Matches (both long and regular)

Fire starter bricks or lighter fluid

Grill basket or grate

Marshmallow roasting sticks (although we usually just carve our own onsite)

Personal Care

Sunscreen

Sun hats

Sunglasses

Hairbrush and hair ties or clips

Small medicine and first aid kit including pain medicine (ibuprofen, etc.,), bandaids, antibacterial cream like Neosporin, nail clippers or file, tweezers plus special items like allergy pills or inhaler, as needed

Towels: 1 hand towel and 1 bath towel per person

Hand soap

Body wash or bar soap

Shampoo and conditioner (travel size)

Toilet paper and/or tissues

Miscellaneous

Water: 1 gallon per person per day, plus more for cooking if there is no potable water onsite; bring water in or bring jugs to gather water there

Camp chairs

Cooler with block ice

Flashlights

Atlas or map of the area (don’t rely on your phone! Many remote locations do not have coverage.)

Backpack for day trips

Games or a pack of cards

Are there other camping essentials you love to have? Share them in the comments below!

For PNW camping:
tarp – you can put it underneath your tent if it’s not raining, and use it to cover your picnic table area if it is…
rope – many uses, but mostly to help with setting up the tarp cover
music (portable speaker or guitar) – if you want some jams while you’re playing games or prepping food